Christmas comes early as DMPA announces two holiday shows

The leaves are budding and the grass is turning spring green, but it’s never too early for a little bit of Christmas cheer.

A pair of family Christmas shows — “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical,” and Mannheim Steamroller Christmas — were announced this week by Des Moines Performing Arts. Both shows will be held at the Des Moines Civic Center this coming December.

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICALMonday, Dec. 17, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.The beloved TV classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” returns to the stage this holiday season with all of your favorite characters, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical.”

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas has been America’s favorite holiday tradition for more than 30 years. Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics along with a selection of compositions from Davis’s groundbreaking Fresh Aire series, which introduced the distinctive Mannheim sound to all of America. The program is a compilation of Christmas classics with some selected tracks of original Fresh Aire music and includes dazzling multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting. Experience the magic as the spirit of the season comes alive with the signature sound of Mannheim Steamroller.

Tickets for both shows will go on sale Friday, May 14 at 9 a.m. and can be purchased at DMPA.org, the Civic Center Ticket Office, and by phone at 515-246-2300.